Tomb Raider: Once More
by Roxas Kennedy 00
Summary: Since the HellHeim incident, Lara wasn't in shape anymore to tomb raid. But, the recent incidents made her think otherwise..
1. Chapter 1

**TOMB RAIDER: ONCE MORE**

Author's note:

_Hello, everyone! This is my new fanfic, which I wanted to start for a long time! That means I'll have to abandon __**Tomb Raider: the Darkness**__ for some time. I'll return to it once I finish this one. For the meantime, enjoy!_

DISCLAIMER: Tomb Raider belongs to Crystal Dynamics, but the previous owner was Core Design, and you know the rest of story. I own nothing but the situations I put the characters in .

**Prologue: On a Cold Winter Night**

It was night. Midnight, to be exact, and it was somewhere after the New Year. It was very cold outside; the weather man reporting it to be the coldest winter that the country had seen since records began.

Everyone was inside their homes, watching holiday specials while sitting on their couches – some peacefully enjoying the snow the cold weather had brought, others complaining that the bitter cold made the marrow in their bones ache.

But, there was an exception – one person, like the scrooge of old fairy tales, who was not reveling in the cheer of the start of a new year. And that was Lara Croft.

After the HellHeim incident, she just wasn't the same. She simply did not care about anything anymore; she wasn't the same wise-cracking, happy person that others knew and loved. She had changed.

It all started when she defeated Natla – she was depressed. Tormented and felt hollow inside. And those feelings only reappeared after Alister died and she discovered that her mother had died long before that.

She thought that she had long gotten a handle on her emotion after the incident in Horus's temple and everyone had thought she was dead. But recent events had shown her that she was no closer to getting a handle on her emotions than she was closer to being able to grasp smoke in her bare hands.

But now she was back. She couldn't remember how, but there was no disputing the fact that she was. It hadn't taken the world long to realize that they had assumed wrong and given up on her far too quickly. If Lara was anything, she was a fighter, and she always pulled through.

But a piece of her did die in that pyramid… She could barely look at her twin weapons because they would only bring back the memories and the thoughts and doubts of what she could have done instead… Yes, part of the accident was forgotten but she didn't want to remember it.

Her memories played out in her mind and she recalled the phone ringing, it had been Werner Von Croy, her mentor in Paris, asking for her help though refusing to deliver any information by phone.

He had been the last person she had wanted to see.

Lara may not remember a lot of things but what she did remember was him abandoning her at the last moment.

But, she had decided to go. I was the wrong move to make. Werner was murdered, and she was accused for it. She decided then to clear her name and find the real murderer.

While she was tracing the obscure paintings, she met Kurtis. He was someone special and she had felt her feelings for him change and grow the longer she spent with him. He helped Lara to defeat Eckhart, Von Croy's murderer. But, Kurtis disappeared during the process. Lara only found his chirugai, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Somehow she evaded trouble and then all she remembers after that is that she started over and hired Zip full-time. He helped her steal the Iris from Von Croy long time ago. Then, she hired Alister. Everything went well for a while. And then she got a call from Anaya, a longtime friend, telling her about the discoveries in Bolivia.

Later, Lara discovered a stone Dias, a device that was used with Excalibur to travel to Avalon… And that was how her mother had disappeared when she was only eight years old.

It had given her hope – made her think that she still had time to save her. But no. She was too late. Her mother had died while Lara searched around the world for the pieces of Excalibur and later, pieces of Mjolnhir, Thor's legendary hammer. At least now Lara didn't have to fear what sort of torment her mother could be going through. Now, Lara's mother was at peace.

Back in her old manor while the other one was getting rebuilt and repaired, Lara stood on the balcony overlooking the assault course. She remembered how she used to run around, trying to beat her old record again, and again...

"Am I interrupting?" Lara was pulled out of her melancholy thoughts by a familiar voice and she turned around to see who it was. Zip. She should have known. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?" Zip's face clearly showed his concern for his friend's well-being and in the mood that she was in; it set Lara's teeth on edge.

"Do I look like I feel okay to you?" Lara demanded coldly as Zip approached.

"What's with the attitude? You don't normally deal with things this way. You normally blow stuff up and think things through. Yeah, you're a bit prissy for a couple of days but you always snap out of it… What's up?"

"I just–!" Lara wanted to say something. Anything. But she couldn't find the words.

"Well?" Zip demanded, trying to snap her out of her funk.

"It's nothing," Lara sighed, with her shoulders dropping. Zip clearly didn't believe her but he left it at that for tonight.

"Well, you better get to bed. It's almost 1 AM." Zip said and left, hoping Lara would follow his advice and get some rest. He knew how little sleep she had been getting lately and how much she really needed it right now.

Lara stood there a few more seconds, until she decided to go out for just a second and in moment she stood outside on the steps of her manor home.

Memories came unbidden, as they had all night but these were different. These were good and brought her a measure of comfort – she remembered those huge boxes in the hall, how she had once had to deal with Italian mafia, her racetrack, her labyrinth…

But her enjoyment stopped when she saw a shadowy figure on top of the gates. She couldn't see who it was, not from this distance. At least that was until it jumped down.

And as the figure approached Lara knew.

"So, we meet once again… Doppelganger."

**END OF CHAPTER**


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note:

_Hello, again! I just want to say that I made a mistake in the prologue: Werner's murderer was Karel, who was disguised in Eckhart, sooo I failed XDD. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!_

_DISCLAIMER: Tomb Raider belongs to Crystal Dynamics, but the previous owner was Core Design, and you know the rest of story._

**Chapter 2: Sudden attack**

DoppelGanger stood in front of Lara. She looked as same as the last time when she saw her.

„I told you to stop bothering me." Lara said coldly.

„Well, I wouldn't if you weren't in danger." DoppelGanger replied.

„Danger? Hmph! As if there was someone who wants me dead. Well, except the James Rutland, but that's another story."

„Well, this isn''t just someone unimportant-„ DoppelGanger wanted to say, but Lara interrupted her.

„Spare me, you will tell me everything tommorow, I'M SLEEPY NOW."

„Lara, it can't wait tommorow!"

„Yes it can."

Just as Lara turned around and opened the door, DoppelGanger shouted out:

„Lara, Natla isn't dead!"

Lara stopped. That name was the only thing she would rather not hear at the moment.

„Come again?" DoppelGanger came close.

„Natla isn't dea-„

Her words were again interrupted, this time by Lara's punch in her face.

„I told you to KILL HER! DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE SPARED HER!"

DoppelGanger could not answer. She was covering her nose to stop it from bleeding, beacuse of her hard punch. Lara then came to her senses.

„Oh, I-I'm sorry... I-i'll just go back... in", said Lara, and then went inside really quickly.

Lara was in her bedroom. She was dressed in a blue nightgown with long sleeves, the one she always liked to wear. Then, Lara turned off the lights, and crawled inside her bed.

She couldn't sleep. She was just thinking about that meeting with DoppelGanger. How did Natla survive? Did she survive? Will Dopp be allright? Did I just seriously called her Dopp?

Just as she was sorting these toughts in hear head, Lara heard a loud noise. Normally, loud sounds didn't really disturb her, but this one sounded wierd. So she decided to check out the situation.

At first, she ran to the door, but then Lara decided to takeextra measures. She turned around, and saw a weapon locker near her bed. Lara remembered instantly what was in, so she ran there and grabed a shotgun, loads and loads of bullets, and some medikits. Now she was ready.

It turns out, mercenaries broke in, and now they were holding captive of Zip and Winston.

„Where is the woman!" the leader of the operation asked.

„Yeah, like I'm going to tell you.", Zip answered.

„May I remind you, that I brought 50 of my men along, and they can do whatever I want them to do if I don't get what I want?" leader replied.

„... she's up there.", showed Zip, after realizing the situation they were in.

Leader sent one of his men to Lara's bedroom. The mercenary went in. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, as if shotgun was fired. Zip and Winston turned around to see what was going on. They saw door fleeing away, and Lara, too! She wasn't hurt, but they also noticed Lara carrying a shotgun, and covered in little bit of blood.

„FIRE!" said the leader.

Soon, 10 men, who were in, began to shoot at Lara. Lara realised her situation on time, so she ran, covering her head with her hands. Some men fired in her legs, convinced she will fall down, but Lara started to wallrun to avoid the bullets. She wallrunned until she got a clear shot of a group, so she jumped off the wall and fired her shotgun. She got them all, mostly killing them by blowing their head off. Lara made a sommersault in the air, as she landed in front of the leader. She wanted a few answers from him, so she aimed for his lower area, and squized the trigger. The bullet blew up the guy's leg, and blood was spewing from it rapidly. „Great, my nightgown is ruined." Lara said to herself, ignoring the man's painful screams. But she knew a lot of mercenaries were outside, as they all came in. Lara realized she was overpowered, so she raised her hands in the air.

But all of a sudden, the lights went out. Lara could hear screams of teroor and shock, as if someone was killing them all. Lara could do nothing but get down, until it was safe. Moment later, lights turned back on. Lara raised her head up to check out the situation. She saw DoppelGanger, standing in the middle of the hall, carrying a sword.

„I should've left you right there beacuse you punched me, buut I guess that wouldn't be a smart choice."

„Where did you get that sword?" Lara asked.

„I stole it from your mansion that's beeing rebuilt." Answered DoppelGanger, giving the sword back.

Lara turned around: „Zip, Winston, I want you to go back to your rooms. I need some time alone."

Afer they went back to their rooms, Lara came closer to Doppel.

„What happened? How is she alive? I tought you killed her!"

„When you ordered me to kill her, I was running as fast as I could. You see, Natla had a hidden device that could allow her to regenerate. I tought I would get there before it's over, but it looks like I was wrong..." DoppelGanger looked down.

Lara puts her hand on her shoulder „Don't worry. We'll just have to deal with her once more."

**END OF CHAPTER**


End file.
